The Laura W. R. Appell Fellowships For the Collection of Oral Literature and Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Laura W. R. Appell Fellowships were established in 2015 to honor Laura W. R. Appell and her work among the Rungus Momogon of Sabah, Malaysia. The body of her work arises from her continuing commitment to the Rungus Momogon community that began in 1959. It includes the co-establishment of the Sabah Oral Literature Project and co-directorship of it, her work on Rungus religion with female religious leaders and others, her study of female roles in Rungus society, and her work on the Rungus Cultural Dictionary.

The Laura W. R. Appell Fellowships are given in recognition of this long term commitment to the Rungus Momogon community and in honor of her Rungus friends, especially Itulina and Minobidong, her primary sources on Rungus religion. The recipients of this Fellowship are expected to develop a long term commitment to a community and to collaborate with the community’s members to preserve and protect their oral literature and traditional ecological knowledge.

Each Fellowship can include up to $40,000 for the expenses required to establish a long-term community-based project. The project must explicitly adhere to the values, ethics, and methodology established by the Sabah Oral Literature Project to collect and preserve the oral literature and the traditional ecological knowledge of that community. The fellowship recipient will work with The Firebird Foundation to ensure the Sabah Oral Literature Project Guidelines are both adhered to and adapted appropriately to the individual community.